Kisses From the Elven King
by Elle Chadwick
Summary: She will never fall for a king. Especially not a vain, self-centered, arrogant king with a fashion addiction. Whom she hates. (Hot, funny Thranduil/OC romance drama.)
1. One

**Chapter One**

"Orcs! I hope we will see orcs! Or _spiders!_"

With her flaming hair swirling around her, Tauriel did two quick spins across the room then leapt onto the bed with her her arms outstretched, hands gripping imaginary knives. Her green eyes blazed.

As her shenanagins jostled the mattress Aeila looked up from the leather-bound text she'd been reading. She could not believe her ears. Spiders? Really? Little elves were not supposed to daydream about spiders. She snapped her book shut then folded her arms. "We don't want orcs Tauriel. Or spiders." Aeila couldn't stand the tiny furry spiders that crept around the forests of Imladris. If the beasts of Mirkwood were as terrible as the stories said... "No, we _especially _don't want spiders," she repeated, shivering.

The younger elleth was still standing on the bed, legs apart and hands now perched defiantly on her hips. She was staring loftily off into the distance. "Why not? I'd protect you, Aeila. You know I would." One hand strayed from her hip to dramatically draw an make-believe sword from an invisible scabbard.

Aeila laughed. "You are very brave." She smiled and fondly patted the youngling's leg. If only she were as brave. "But you know the stories, just like I do. I think it would take several strong elves to protect us from those spiders." Absently she imagined Elrond's two sons wielding their mithril-tipped blades against the eight-legged beasts. She had never seen a real battle but she did sometimes spy on the elf warriors as they practiced in the training glen. It was... fascinating. In a way. The fighting, not the warriors. Aeila felt her cheeks tingle.

Tauriel turned quickly and in one move that was pretty complex for a elleth of her age, rolled across the floor and poised herself with one leg outstretched. In her arms was now obviously a pretend arrow and cocked bow.

"But you won't be going anywhere if you don't finish packing," Aeila reminded her, gesturing at the mess of garments and other belongings that were scattered across their cluttered bedroom. This had been her room for many years, and part of her felt sad to be leaving the place she had lived for so long.

The rest of her felt only excitement to finally be leaving Rivendell and seeing the world. Once when she was very young, her parents had taken Aeila on a trip to visit her grandparents in Lothlorien. But she'd been only an elfing, and that was centuries ago. She could hardly remember it now. She had spent most of her life safe in the hidden valley, helping her brother raise his spirited daughter. And though her heart still belonged to the rocky forests and sparkling falls of Imladris, she often dreamed of the world beyond, and of those great, mysterious elves in the ancient stories. She'd read about them in books.

Aeila loved books.

"Books!" Tauriel groaned, lighting kicking at Aeila's sack of belongings that sat in a heap next to her bed. "You're not hauling your _books _all the way to Mirkwood, Aeila?"

"Not _all _of them."

The little elfing made a very unlady-like sound through her nose. "You read too much."

Aeila shook her head. They'd had this argument over and over again. "One can never read too much," she insisted. "Books have magic in them, if you'd only care to look. What about the tale of Glorfindel? You love that story."

Tauriel blinked. "And you can tell it to me every time I ask. So why should I bother reading?"

"Never mind." Aeila picked up her book and tried to look annoyed but she was laughing inside. Somehow Tauriel had inherited her father's features and his attitude; she was like a small version of him, but with red hair. In fact Aeila entirely blamed Valion for his daughter's 'love of war'. He was a feisty, reckless, and competitive elf, always eager for a chance to spar. Verbally or physically. He could be very annoying sometimes, but Aeila loved him. She didn't know what she would do without him.

That was the main reason she was tagging along on this sojourn to the Great Forest.

"Are you ladies nearly ready?"

There was her brother standing under the arched doorway with his sword swinging on his belt and his green cloak hanging from his shoulders. Apparently, he was ready. Aeila made a helpless face and pointed at his daughter who was still slaughtering imaginary goblins and had not finished packing.

Valion took his daughter by the arm. "Get your things together," he said gently, but firmly. "We have less than half an hour. What have you been doing all morning?" He gave Aeila a smile that implied he knew she'd been reading instead of working, but he did not say so out loud. Aeila smiled back at him. He really was a very dear brother, and she wished he would smile more often. Many times she had wondered if he would someday find another elleth to fall in love with. Then maybe he would be happy again. But he was mostly interested in weapons and craftsmanship, and never had any time for females.

Just like Aeila had no time for males.

Where had that come from? Honestly, Aeila. She had plenty of time on her hands, it was just that all the males her age seemed to see her as a child, or at least they treated her like one. No, that wasn't fair. It was more that all the elves her age felt like... _cousins _to her. She'd grown up with them and it was hard to see them as potential lovers, even now that they were grown and perfectly handsome.

She sort of had a thing for Elrond's twins, everybody did, but it was more respect than anything else. They were at least a millennium older than her, and they exuded power in everything they did. Of course they could be as wicked as Elrond's daughter when it came to pranks, but they still held a mantle of maturity that none of the younger elves could.

"Where are your thoughts Aeila? Your eyes look lost." Her brother was standing directly beside the bed now, he had Tauriel's belongings in a bag slung over his shoulder.

Aeila gave a little shrug. "My mind likes to get lost in thought," she said vaguely.

He offered her a hand and helped her rise from the bed. "My little scatter-brained sister," he sighed, shaking his head. This was the closest he ever came to teasing her, by giving small insults that were not meant to sting. In fact, she could almost swear he meant them fondly.

"It is only that so much will be changing," she insisted. "I was thinking of my friends here in Rivendell and how I shall miss them." It was mostly true.

"You still have time to change your mind, though you know I hope that you will not," Valion looked straight at her, his grey eyes questioning.

She took his hand. "No, brother. I have not changed my mind. I am ready for this." She was. She felt ready. And she also felt like something was about to happen, something far greater and more wonderful than she could imagine.

The road to Mirkwood was long. Most of Aeila's days were spent sitting on a horse's back and watching the horse in front of her as they slowly trudged on. They were not alone, but traveled with a group of about thirty others. At sunset each day they would stop and make camp for the night, and Aeila would help gather wood for the fire and herbs for the meal. After supper she would lie with Tauriel close in her arms and they would gaze up at the sky and debate about how many silver stars had been mirrored on Gil-Galad's shield. And then when the rest of the camp was quiet, Aeila would take out one of her books and sit very close to the fire. Those days were pleasant.

Then they came to the forest. And for one very long, uncomfortable night, they camped in a rooty-floored spot where the trees grew so thick you could not see the sky, let alone the stars. The air felt very close and thick. Aeila didn't like it. She did not like it at all.

"I can't breathe," Tauriel waved a hand in front of her face. "It's stuffy."

"Yes." Aeila tried to fan the sleepy elfling. It was almost sweltering, except the air was cold instead of warm, and it was the strangest combination. She wondered if all of Mirkwood was like this. She hoped not. She was not sure she could last more than one day without breathing the air.

Sleep was almost impossible with all the roots sticking into her back, and when she finally did sleep, her dreams were haunted by huge, insect-like eyes that peered at her from the shadows of the trees. She awoke panting and sitting upright with her heart racing. Aeila glanced at her brave niece who was still sleeping soundly. Couldn't she be as brave as an elfing? She sighed as she slowly laid back down onto her pokey bedroll. Maybe if she'd stop reading so many books about the confusticated spiders, she would sleep better.

It seemed she had just closed her eyes when the camp began to rouse for the day. Was it morning? It was impossible for Aeila to tell because almost no sunlight could get in through those thick trees, not even at midday.

She heard a twig snap and turned to see Valion approaching, he'd been on watch duty most of the night. "Aeila. Good, you are up. Our guide wants to make an early start today. We will reach the city before nightfall."

"I am so glad," Aeila sighed. Her feet felt bruised from walking and her legs felt bruised from rubbing against the saddle for so many hours. On top of it all she was liking this forest less and less. The thick air almost seemed to make her feel light-headed.

Her brother patted her shoulder. "Let us eat," he said. "And then we will be on our way."

It took another seven hours travelling through that dark, dismal forest and then almost out of nowhere, they stepped into a clearing and there were beautiful carven figures rising up out of the earth, and a large patch of golden sunlight fell down to the forest floor, almost blinding her.

"It's the sun!" Tauriel shouted.

"Yes." Aeila could feel the gentle warmth of it on her face and she sighed in delight.

"Just across the bridge now," called the guide. He looked worn and as ready as any of them to be coming home.

Home. This would be Aeila's home now. She stared down at the glossy river as their horses trotted over the bridge. Leaves were scattered across the water's surface, leaves that were such a bright yellow it seemed that little pieces of sunlight had fallen right down from the sky to lay there, tumbling in the current.

They passed through great stone doors and once they were shut, Aeila realized how cool and crisp the air was. She also noticed that it was dark, with most of the light coming from candles or lanterns and very tiny sunholes high above. This was a huge, beautiful city, but very unfamiliar. Overwhelmingly unfamiliar.

Aeila slipped off the horse her and stifled a gasp. Her thighs _burned _with pain. Like fire. Her backside was going numb. She groaned. "I do not wish to look at another horse for at least a decade," she murmured to Tauriel as they waited for their baggage to be unloaded. She could not remember her body being in so much pain. _Everywhere _hurt!

"Father, Aeila, where is our home?" the elfing asked.

"We must walk a ways to our new house," Valion answered, and Aeila felt her heart sink.

Tauriel glanced up at the many staircases and bridges. "But _where_ is it?" she asked.

"Someone will be here to guide us."

"Are you sure?" Aeila asked a little desperately. She did not feel like standing around waiting. Nor did she feel like sitting down. Her legs were aching so badly that she could almost feel tears coming to her eyes.

"Yes," her brother nodded. "I was promised very fine chambers, as well as a guide who will be staying with us for a few weeks while we learn our way around. It was all a part of the agreement."

The agreement. That was how they were even here in the first place. The Captain of the Guard had made a special request that Valion come to help with training in weaponry, specifically archery. He was going to be a teacher for an elite group of the King's guards.

Aeila shifted from one aching foot to another as she watched the rest of their company disappear until they were the only ones hanging around outside the stables. She was trying no to be impatient but she was in pain and it was only getting worse.

Thirty minutes passed and still nothing. Aeila's legs had started quivering like jelly and she was definitely feeling light-headed though she couldn't blame it on the close air now.

She was definitely feeling annoyed.

"There you are." A very tall, slender elf stood in front of them, he was dressed in a simple forest-green tunic and black breeches. Very sleek, shiny hair was braided back from his face and fell down his back. It was bright, beautiful hair like spun sunlight. And the elf had a very nice face, so nice in fact that Aeila realized she staring and quickly looked away.

"Greetings," her brother bowed his head. "I am Valion of Rivendell."

"I know who you are," the stranger replied in a surprisingly curt voice. He seemed almost annoyed though Aeila couldn't understand why. After all, he had not been the one waiting around for forty minutes, had he? "I apologize," the stranger continued formally, although he didn't sound like it. "The King was busy and neglected to send your guide. I hope you have not been waiting long."

"No," Valion lied politely.

Aelia wanted to roll her eyes. He could pretend to be nice all he liked but she knew on the inside he was even more annoyed than she was. He was not a patient elf, and considered himself pretty important, especially now that he was to train the King's soldiers.

"Good." The stranger turned and gestured with one arm. "If you will follow me?"

He led them in silence. Aeila felt lost immediately. Every staircase looked the same, every lantern glowed from an identical carve in the wall. She blinked several times and hurried to keep up with their long-legged guide.

"Actually we waited for a very long time," Tauriel finally burst out. "We waited and waited until Aeila didn't think anyone would come."

"Tauriel." Valion whispered under his breath.

Their guide slowed his pace. "Truly?" he asked. "I _am _sorry about that." He glanced down and gave the elfing a very small smile. "The King has been very busy today. As a matter of fact, I don't think he even knows you're here yet. I saw one of the guards who'd arrived with you, so I knew you must be waiting. Finally I decided to come myself."

Aeila wasn't sure to feel embarrassed about her unkind thoughts or feel more upset than ever that the King obviously did not care tuppence about her or her renowned warrior of a brother. She settled for studying the strange elf's broad, well-shaped shoulders as he walked. His hair swished perfectly behind him, the straight blond strands catching the light like gold. Who was he? She glanced down and pretended not to notice the muscles of his thighs that could plainly be seen through the thin material of his leggings. He was built very nicely, all elves were. Maybe it was just his beautiful hair that made him seem attractive.

At last he led them into a series of rooms that linked together and were nicely lit and decorated. There were rugs covering the stone floors and beautiful windows carved through the walls so that one could see out into the rest of the underground city. It almost seemed too beautiful, too perfect to be called a home.

The blond elf stood beside the door. "This is it. I hope it will be to your liking."

Aeila plopped her bag down onto the ground, she felt certain she had a welt on her shoulder where the strap had been hanging for the past hour. She felt very grubby and tired and wished the stranger would go so that she could fall onto the bed.

"Your proper guide will join you tomorrow and he will be able to assist and provide anything you need. If that is all, I shall take my leave of you." He bowed stiffly and then turned to go.

"Thank You," Aeila said, although she was so tired that her tongue felt thick in her mouth.

He paused on the threshold, turning so they could see his profile, "...you are welcome."

"I'm Tauriel," Tauriel quickly announced. She liked this new elf very much, he was handsome and wearing two very beautiful kives in addition to an empty quiver on his back. He looked like a good fighter. "Are you a great warrior?" she asked, half because she wanted to know and half because she wanted an excuse to make him stay a little longer.

He gave her a real smile then, one that lit up his eyes. It was brief though. "Tauriel. I hope I am a good soldier, but I would not call myself a great warrior." He raised his eyebrows. "This very morning my own Father announced I need to improve my swordsmanship."

Tauriel smiled at him. "Do you?"

"Yes." He shrugged. "I prefer the bow. I cannot help it."

Since when did Tauriel know how to talk with strange, handsome elves better than Aeila did?

"There is an assembly in the courtroom. I must leave you or I will be late." The elf bowed, though a little less stiffly than before. He turned to go.

"Wait, good soldier!" Tauriel called, halting him. "What is your name?"

He glanced over his shoulder, settling his blue eyes on her. "Little Tauriel," he smiled. "I am Legolas."


	2. Two

**Chapter Two**

When Aeila opened her eyes she was surprised to see a roof over her head. She'd been on the road for so long she had almost expected to see blue sky, scattered with the fading stars of night as the sun slowly made it's way into the world. As she stared at the smooth wood ceiling of her bedroom, everything came rushing back.

She quickly sat up, wondering what time it was and why the room was so cold. Her nightdress was long but it had no sleeves and her bare arms tingled in the air. Was it morning yet? Why was everything so _quiet_? It was almost eerie, that smooth silence, until all at once she realized.

There were no birds.

To her surprise she felt a deep sense of sorrow wash over her, enough to fill her eyes with tears. Birds were just birds, and she'd never paid them much attention before, but suddenly in this overbearing, unfamiliar silence, she longed for them. Perhaps she would have to wait a hundred years. Perhaps she would never hear their sweet, chirping song again. She hugged herself, feeling very alone. What was wrong with her? There were so many wonderful, interesting things about this new home. Yesterday she'd been nearly bursting with excitement.

The door creaked open, startling her.

"Aeila?" said a voice.

In the dim light of the room, she could see a small figure peering at her with shiny eyes. She pushed back the covers of her bed and opened her arms. "Come on," she said.

The elfing leapt to the bed in three strides and hopped onto the mattress.

"My room is cold," Tauriel explained, trying to shove her little feet under Aeila's blanket. She paused for a moment, then wrinkled her nose. "Your room is cold too."

"It's freezing," Aeila agreed. "We will talk to Valion about that."

They sat huddled together in the darkness for a few peaceful minutes. Aeila guessed that it must be nearly dawn, though there was no way to be sure. She slowly combed through Tauriel's hair with her fingertips.

"Aeila?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think about my new friend, Legolas?"

Aeila paused. Tauriel was very good about asking one thing and meaning another. She pondered the question long and hard before answering. "I thought he was nice," she answered as evenly as possible.

"His hair was so light, wasn't it?"

Aeila pretended to be distracted with fluffing the pillow for a few minutes. Finally when she realized Tauriel was still staring at her, she said, "Yes his hair was light. I've never seen such light hair."

"I liked it." Tauriel was staring straight into Aeila's eyes now. "How about you?"

Aeila could feel her cheeks turning pink. Thank goodness the room was dark. "I-I guess I liked it too," she answered a little unsurely. She had to be very careful what she said to Tauriel, because Tauriel always reported everything to Valion, who was very strict about the rules of courting and male elves, etc., at least when it came to Aeila.

Aeila's first and only kiss had been on her begetting day when she was just barely coming of age, when Tethian, one of her male friends, had felt very brave and kissed her on the mouth. Aeila had let him, not because it felt good but because she was very curious and also very naive and unsure of the proper protocol. Tethian hadn't asked, he just leaned over and did it. It had been strange, that soft brushing of lips. There were no fireworks, no bells ringing like some of the other elleths whispered about. Tethian had pulled away blushing, muttering something about how pretty she was. All in all Aeila had felt rather underwhelmed by the whole experience. But a few of her friends saw, and the word got back to Valion, and they'd had a very long, awkward talk that night. From then on, if Tethian or any other elf stood too close to her or talked too quietly with her, Valion would rush in with a flaming sword. Well, not literally, but still!

It was all ridiculous anyway because the only elves who gave her the time of day were her friends, whom she loved and cared for but could not bring herself to feel attracted to. Her brother was protecting her against an imaginary danger.

She had no wish to repeat that awkward lecture.

Which was why she was choosing her words very carefully now.

Tauriel wrinkled her nose. Aeila couldn't really see it in the dark room, but she knew Tauriel was doing it anyway.

"I thought he was handsome," the little elf announced.

"Good for you," Aeila replied, shaking her head. When Tauriel matured into a young lady, her father was really going to have his hands full.

"I thought maybe you liked him," Tauriel continued.

Aeila shrugged her shoulders. "Well he was very nice and helped us find our house..." She floundered for something else to say. Tauriel was still staring at her, probably hoping to hear Aeila announce an engagement or something. That was the other half of the problem. Valion stood on one side, trying to keep her virtous until she found The One -or until Valion found The One for her- and Tauriel was on the other side, trying to push and pull Aeila into romantic relationships. She was always assuming things and that wouldn't be so bad except she always innocently related them to her overprotective father.

Oh, Aeila's life was very complicated, indeed.

"Well maybe we'll get to see him again today," Tauriel said finally. "I wanted to look at his knives. Did you see his knives, that he wore on his back?"

"I saw them." They had looked very dangerous.

A knock came at the door and then Valion's voice. "Aeila, our guide is here. Quickly get dressed and come out to greet him. He will join us for breakfast."

They ate breakfast at a round table that was situated in their main room. This room had windows looking out at the city and was brightly lit. The guide turned out to be a very pleasant, jovial elf with chestnut-colored hair, grey eyes, and a very wide, white smile. "Good morning," he said as Aeila and Tauriel entered the room. "I am Celthon of Mirkwood. The King has appointed me as your guide for the day."

"For the day?" Aeila repeated, glancing at her brother. Hadn't the King promised them a guide for a least a week?

Valion just shook his head and gave her a look that said, drop it.

Aeila pretended to drop it but she was annoyed all over again with this King who in addition to completely disregarding them yesterday, was now going back on his word and altering the agreement with her brother. She raised her eyebrows and silently poured herself a glass of water.

"I will show you around today," Celthon said over breakfast. "It is really not that difficult. There are four main roads for north, south, east and west. If you memorize that, the rest is easy. Everything is very organized. It's almost impossible to get lost!"

Celthon laughed, winking at Aeila, who blushed. He had a very nice smile, and she wished she could smile back, but Valion was watching her like a hawk. A mother hawk who was guarding the nest. She focused on buttering a scone.

As a matter of fact, Valion had a dilemma that he was desperately trying to solve. He needed to spend most of the day, most of every day from now on, with the King's soldiers. There would be no one to look after his sister. He wasn't sure he liked that. He especially didn't like the huge smiles their guide kept giving Aeila.

She _was_ more than three hundred years old. Maybe it was time for him to let loose a little bit. He stared across the table at Aeila's pretty face and clenched his teeth. Letting loose was hard for him. He just didn't want her to get hurt! He had seen bad things happen before. He had seen enough suffering. And he intended to protect Aeila, from _every _type of predator. Not that this royal guide was a predator, per se, but...

He sighed, knowing there was not much of a choice.

"Father, may I be excused?" Tauriel had already gotten down from her stool but she was still standing respectfully by the table. She had that look on her face that said she wanted to do something and if she did not do it soon, she would burst. Valion smiled, touching her cheek.

"Where are you planning on going?" he asked. "You know you will need to stay with Celthon, otherwise you will get lost. This is not like Rivendell where you can simply run outside whenever you feel like it."

"I want to find my friend," Tauriel explained.

"When you're ready I can show your father to the training hall," Celthon offered. "Then we can go wherever you please." As he said this he turned and smiled at Aeila again, and a realization hit her that they would be together, alone, away from Valion's sharp eyes. Aeila wasn't sure if she was excited or anxious about that. Then she remembered they would not be alone, Tauriel would be there, and she felt both annoyed and relieved. Males made one feel the strangest things!

Valion was greeted respectfully in the training hall. Aeila watched in satisfaction as he spoke with the admiring soldiers. Even the Captain bowed his head and thanked them for making the long journey. Apparently some people still remembered that her brother was a archer of great renown.

Just as they were going to leave him with his students, Valion cornered Aeila with a look on his face that made her cringe. He took her elbow and pulled her away far enough that Celthon would not be able to hear. Then he took a deep breath.

"Before you say anything," Aeila said bravely. "I'll say what I have said a thousand times. I am not a elfling anymore. And I am not foolish. You need not fear for my safety, Valion."

His eyes searched hers carefully. To her surprise, he dropped her elbow and slowly nodded. "You're right," he said. "You are a lady. I know I must give you some freedom, but..." He leaned into her and his eyes were filled with such tenderness that she almost wondered if something was wrong with him. "You must be watchful, my sister," he whispered. "Please. There are those in this world that would do you harm."

She frowned up at him. "Not another elf, Valion, surely." As if any of the Mirkwood elves needed to be feared. Why was he always so superstitious?

"What I mean is, things are not always as they seem." He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and sighed harshly. "You are very beautiful Aeila and I don't want someone to take advantage of that. Just remember what I've told you."

"Yes." She quickly kissed him on the cheek and then turned to run for the door. She could hardly believe that he had called her beautiful and a lady and that he was deciding to give her some freedom. It felt wonderful and strange and exciting. Just like this new home.

Aeila soon learned that Celthon was wrong. He was very wrong. One could get _extremely _lost if they were not familiar with the city. There were simply too many paths and ladders and fountains and staircases. All of it was beautiful with very exotic furnishings. As they strolled down the winding paths, it almost felt like she was wandering in a dream.

"You're sure my friend lives here?" Tauriel asked.

Celthon chuckled. He was leading them up the north hall towards the court hall. "I am very sure," he said. "The question is, will he be home or not? He's very busy you know."

Aeila wondered why he'd come to be their guide yesterday if he was so busy. She was deciding she did like him, quite a bit. He seemed very nice and Tauriel was right, he had very strange and beautiful hair.

They came into an enormous room with floor-length tapestries hanging from the walls. It was lit by many torches. Many people bustled throughout the room, Aeila decided it must be a public, common place. Her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find a glimpse of their friend. Tauriel's friend. Was he her friend? Did she want him to be?

"I don't see him," Tauriel said.

"Just a moment. Stay here and I will go ask after him. Court has adjourned so I think I might be able to find him." Celthon disappeared.

Aeila saw an vacant bench so they seated themselves on it and waited. "What are you going to say to him?" she asked. "If he comes."

"I just want to look at his knives," Tauriel shrugged. "I don't know exactly what I'm going to say, I don't plan out my conversations with my friends." She gave Aeila a look. "Are you nervous about talking to him?" Her eyes immediately lit up and Aeila could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

The older elleth scoffed. "Of course not."

"Then why were you asking me what I was going to say?"

"Look at that," Aeila said, changing the subject. She was pointing to a blue, silver, and gold tapestry that hung on the wall behind the bench. It depicted a silver-clad elf warrior astride a great golden elk. Aeila could not remember reading about such an elf in any of her books. "Who do you suppose that is?"

Tauriel was noting the tapestry with interest, she could see the elf warrior grasped a long beautiful sword in his hand. "I don't know. What's that beast he's riding on? It's not a horse."

They tapestry discussion managed to last until Celthon reappeared.

"Legolas!" Tauriel hopped off the bench.

There was the blonde elf, now dressed in a dark gray, formal sort of tunic with fine embroidery. He was smiling, that small, pleased smile like he had yesterday. "Hello little one." He bowed slightly. "Celthon told me I was needed." He looked at Aeila who was still sitting primly on the bench and nodded to her momentarily before looking back down at the red-haired elfling. "How can I be of assistance?"

"Well," Tauriel said, putting one hand on her hip. "I wanted to see your knives," she explained. "But I can see you're not wearing them today. Why are you dressed up like this?"

He smiled again. "I usually dress this way when court is in session." He shook his head. "Between you and me, I don't like this stiff attire at all. And I wish I could wear my knives every day, but that is not proper etiquette for court."

"Court sounds boring."

Legolas leaned down and spoke quietly. "It is," he said gravely. "It is very, very boring."

He was leaning over and was almost at eye level with Aeila. She watched his pink lips moving as he spoke to her niece, and wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. She pictured it for a few seconds. He was handsome, but the thought of kissing him didn't make her envision fireworks. She frowned slightly. She had not grown up with this elf. She barely knew him. And he was attractive, by all accounts. So why didn't she feel the urge to kiss him? Maybe she needed to try it some more and then it would start sounding more appealing.

Legolas glanced up at her and saw her cheeks were pink. He wondered what exactly she was thinking. The small elleth, the red-haired one, spoke to him very easily, and in a way that no one had spoken to him in a very long time. He liked her very much. But this other elleth, the quiet, dark-haired one... she sort of unnerved him. Yesterday she'd seemed quite annoyed the whole time he was there until he was leaving. Then she'd thanked him politely. She seemed to be upset about something but he wasn't sure if it had to do with him or with everything in general. Her face was pretty, like all elleths, but it was her long dark waves of hair that kept catching his attention. She was very unique. He supposed he did not dislike her, but would that change as he got to know her? Would he even get to know her? Probably, because he was now 'friends' with the little red-head and she was the red-head's relation.

The little red-head, _Tauriel_, he reminded himself, was still talking. About the drudgery that was court. He smiled, loving that fact that he now had someone to complain about court with him.

"If you want to see my knives," he said, "I am free for the rest of the afternoon. If you come with me I will show you."

"I do!" Tauriel turned back and grasped Aeila's hand, pulling her off the bench.

As they followed him through the crowd, Aeila realized that many elves stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Their gazes seemed more curious than unkind, but she was suddenly hit with the reminder that she was an outsider here. Her dark hair made her stand out like a black sheep. It was made all the worse because everyone seemed to know and like Legolas, if their smiles and greetings were anything to go by. They greeted him but gave Aeila only quick, questioning glances. She stared at the ground, feeling shy and childish.

"Are we going to your house?" Tauriel asked, apparently unaffected by the many pairs of eyes that were on her.

"To the training room," Legolas answered over his shoulder. "I have a cabinet there where I often store my weapons."

"Does it have a lock on it?"

He could not hide the smile that spread over his face. "Of course."

"Well I hope you always remember to keep it locked," Tauriel continued, in an almost mother-like tone. "You know? Because it seems like someone might want to steal your knives."

Legolas nodded soberly, though if she could have seen his eyes, they were sparkling. "It is a lock spell," he explained, wondering why he bothered to tell her so much. Perhaps it was because unlike so many of his 'friends' she actually seemed to enjoy listening to him. "I have simply to close the lid and the cabinet locks itself."

Aeila stared at the back of his blonde head in wonderment. Valion knew a couple basic healing spells, and one of her friends that had trained under Rivendell's lore master knew a sleeping spell. That was the extent of magic Aeila had seen. How strange these Mirkwood elves were, and how mystical. It was like something out of one of her books.

The training room was smaller yet more opulent than Aeila had imagined. They entered through a wide, carven door that looked like two young trees whose slender, tangled branches formed the archway. Inside was a round room that looked barely large enough for a single fight, let alone a group of training soldiers. The floor was smooth and inlaid with blue and red gemstones in an intricate pattern, like a kaleidoscope. It was a rich, beautiful room, fit for a prince. Aeila stared in wonderment as she tried to take it all in.

"This is beautiful," she said, mostly to herself.

"It is very beautiful," Celthon agreed. She jumped to hear his voice so close to her ear.

"This is where you train?" Tauriel's eyes were shining brighter than silver lamps that hung from the high ceiling. She could see several incredible swords hanging on wooden plaques on the walls. Wall. It was a round room, with one perfectly smooth wall that wound all around until it met itself again. And there were shields, beautiful black and silver shields, and helments on posts, and against the far wall an extremely splendid suit of armour encrusted with pale silver and tiny white gemstones.

"I train here when I want a little privacy," Legolas said, thought he didn't think they were even listening. His eyes skirted around the room. It wasn't anything special to him, he'd known this room since he'd been a little elfling hundreds of years ago. But the two elleths were still staring around themselves in awe.

"Look at that armor," Tauriel said almost reverently. It was exactly the sort of armor she imagined Gil-Galad would have worn as he rode fiercely out to battle back in the younger years of the world. She didn't know such armor actually existed.

"It is the King's armor."

Aeila raised her eyebrows. The suit, complete with leg guards and gauntlets was so flashy, so over the top that it looked more like a costume than anything else, certainly not attire for battle. "Who wears that sort of jewelry in war?" she muttered quietly.

She saw Legolas glance up at her. His lips quirked. "The King."

The King. The King who called her brother to travel miles and miles and then forgot about him like he were some plain common elf and and not anyone important. Aeila tried to imagine him, carelessly posing in this overly fine suit. She laughed. "And can the King actually fight when dressed in so much splendor? Or doesn't he fear that his fine suit will be soiled?"

"You'd be surprised." Legolas was smiling for reals now. He could hardly believe she had said that. When was the last time someone so young had said something that disrespectful about Father? This elleth was in fact growing on him.

Aeila saw him smile and felt elated that she had made it happen. Perhaps he felt about the King the same way she did. The thought made her like him even more. She bravely smiled back at him for a few moments before casually looking away with her heart pounding. Just smiling at him like that had felt very forward.

"Would you still like to see my knives or are you only interested in the King and his finery now?" Legolas asked.

"Of course I want to see your knives, silly," Tauriel gave him a little pat on the side of his leg, as if to reassure him that even though his weapons may not be as fine as the King's, they were still perfectly interesting and impressive.


	3. Three

**Chapter Three**

Valion heard footsteps and voices, specifically Aeila's voice, laughing. He immediately got up from the kitchen table where he'd been stewing for the past half hour and went to look out the window. His eyes widened. Of course he'd been expecting his sister, his daughter, and their guide. But why was the King's son with them and- his eyebrows slowly raised... why was the prince carrying Tauriel on his back? As they approached the door he quickly returned to his seat and tried to pretend like he hadn't been spying.

As they entered the room Legolas smoothly swung the elfling off his back and set her lightly on the ground. "Here we are," he said. "I told you we'd make it within the hour."

Valion remained in his seat. Instinct was telling him to jump up, take his sister by the elbow and invite both of her new male friends to have a good evening. Instead he forced a pleasant expression onto his face and acted as though this were all perfectly normal.

Tauriel approached him with a smile and he took her tightly into his arms.

"Did you have a good day?"

"Yes." His daughter nodded, red hair bouncing vigorously. "Legolas took us to his training room and let me see his knives."

"Ah." To be honest Valion was more interested in what Aeila and her guide had been up to all day, but he valiantly brushed it aside. From the corner of his eye he watched as his sister said goodbye to her friends, noting that Legolas gave her a nod and a very fond smile. He guessed that was respectful enough, however Celthon was much bolder and gave her a loud kiss on the back of her hand before darting out through the doorway.

Before she turned around and faced him, Valion's eyes quickly darted back to the table and the glass of water he was pretending to drink. "Tauriel it's time for bed. Go, I'll come say goodnight."

Aeila studied him, he was looking at something on the table and his long brown hair was hanging down and hiding one of his eyes. Had he seen Celthon kiss her hand? Before the thought even finished going through her mind, she realized if he hadn't seen it he'd at least heard it. Yet he was not glaring at her, he was not even drawing attention to it. As she approached the table she realized his jaw was slightly clenched which meant he had absolutely noticed the kiss but was attempting to pretend otherwise. Aeila smiled, loving him for trying.

"How did things go today?" she asked, referring to his tutoring.

He finally looked up at her. "Very well, though I have my work cut out for me. They are fine elves but they do have a ways to go."

"They are very grateful you are here," Aeila said softly, her heart surging with pride as she remembered his noble welcome in the training hall earlier that day.

Valion shrugged indifferently. It didn't fool her. Her brother was one of the best archers in all of Arda and due to his extremely competitive nature, he reveled in that fact as much as she did.

"Have you eaten?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes." She felt a tiny bit guilty about that. It had been such a lovely day with so many things to see. Suppertime had come all too quickly and Celthon had insisted they eat in the common dining hall on the upper level of the city. It was rather late now, late enough that Aeila would have felt sleepy if she hadn't been so excited by the events of the day.

There was a pause, a few heartbeats, and then Valion couldn't help it. While continuing to stare at the table he mumbled, "Did you have a nice day with Celthon?"

"Yes. A very nice day. He's such a nice elf."

"Is he now?" That little vein showed up again, the one that always became pronounced when he was clenching his teeth. Aeila bit her lip and tried not to smile.

"Yes, very nice. He's been so patient and kind to Tauriel and me. He told me his parents are from Lorien, just like grandfather." Aeila let her poor brother simmer for another moment before she casually continued. "Oh and did you know he's betrothed to this lovely elleth named Railith whose hair is almost as light at Legolas'. I didn't get to meet her today but he's going to introduce us sometime."

"Oh."

Aelia saw the color slowly coming back to Valion's cheeks. It was a mean thing she'd done but she wanted to prove to him that yes, males would be males, bu that they could be her friends and not potential threats or love interests. Celthon was almost unconsciously flirtatious, but he didn't mean anything by it. Aeila was almost glad he'd kissed her on the hand, now Valion would have to see and understand.

Her brother gave her a half sheepish smile and Aeila finally broke and let herself laugh.

"I'm happy for him." Valion was happy for himself too, now he could disregard that whole kiss on the hand thing. He saw Aeila was still smiling and felt a tiny flutter of joy in his chest. He had been so worried that she would not like it here, that she would be lonely and in danger and that her bright, beautiful soul might start to fade. But here she was, her eyes was glowing and her smile was radiant. Perhaps being here was exactly what she needed. What both of them needed.

She walked around the table until she was standing in front of him. "I think I'm going to go to sleep," she said softly. "I've done a lot of walking today, I'm beginning to feel it." She gently touched his arm and then kissed his cheek.

"Before you go," Valion grabbed her by the wrist. "I wanted to tell you something. The King has invited me to dinner tomorrow night and I would like you to come."

The King? Aeila's mind immediately went back to that ridiculous suit of glittering armour and she smiled, remembering the way she and Legolas had joked about it. She knew for a fact that her brother would not approve of such mockery and so she decided not to bring it up. She did however make another little joke at the King's expense.

"I'm not sure I have anything fine enough to wear to this King's dinner." She said it very innocently, while wondering in the back of her mind if Legolas would smile or laugh if he could hear her.

Valion waved her comment away. "Nonsense, all your gowns are fine enough and besides, the King probably doesn't care about such things."

If Valion wanted to think that she would let him. It didn't matter, Aeila knew the truth. The truth was, this King who went back on his word, and thought himself so important, and _forgot _things such as that her brother was even coming to his city, this King cared very much about fine things and beautiful clothes.

And the rest of the truth was that Aeila didn't want to go his old dinner party, not anymore than she wanted to finish unpacking and clean her room. Not that she would ever tell the King that.

And not like he'd care, anyway.

Insufferable King.

Aeila did not get to meet Railith the next day, as she'd hoped. In fact she did not get to do anything but sit in the house and feel bored. All of this was because _someone _had broken his agreement and only supplied a guide for one day instead of a week like he'd promised. Just after breakfast a guard had arrived at the door to show Valion the way to the training hall. Then for the rest of the day Aeila and Tauriel had to stay inside and not go anywhere, lest they get hopelessly lost.

As evening approached Aeila put on her blue gown, the one with silver beads sewn into the bodice, and attempted to style her hair. But by the time Valion came home she'd given up on the hair and it was hanging in long waves around her face. Why should she care if the King saw her messy hair anyway? Let him see.

Valion stood beside the door, smoothing down the front of his green tunic. "Come Aeila, it is time to go."

"What am I going to do tonight?" Tauriel sulked. "I will be all alone."

"You will go to sleep," Aeila replied, trying to talk softly enough that her brother could not hear. "You will be safe in your comfortable bed while I will be sitting at some formal, boring dinner with a self-important, vain king who will probably spend the entire meal droning on about beautiful armor and the importance of shiny helmets."

They laughed while Valion raised an eyebrow at their disrespect, which he heard quite clearly dispite Aeila's efforts.

Dinner was served in a long hallway lit by beautiful hanging lamps and lined with graceful potted trees whose silver leaves glinted and reflected, creating a beautiful hazy glow. Everything looked and felt so formal, so unlike the feasting hall of Rivendell. Aeila felt very immature and under-dressed as they were led into that dining hall. She sat on the intricately carven wood chair and felt almost unworthy to place her backside on something so fine. Was the whole night going to be like this? Awkward and uncomfortable?

Thankfully the answer was no, but that was mostly because King Thranduil's dorwinion wine was every bit as potent as legend touted. Aeila tasted a few sips from her silver goblet and within minutes the world felt a little warmer, a little happier. She relaxed a bit.

"So where is the King?" she asked.

"Apparently detained," Valion answered. He eyed her half-empty wineglass and gently patted her arm. "You may want to go easy on that, young lady. It's far more spirited than anything I've ever allowed you before."

Aeila ate a few bites of her dinner which was delicious, almost too delicious, and looked perfect_, _just like everything else in this unbelievable dining room. She caught a flash of blonde hair and realized with a start of surprise that Legolas was sitting not ten seats down from her. In fact he had noticed her already and was smiling in her direction.

If she hadn't been intoxicated, she might have smiled back and nodded slightly. Instead she laughed and waved at him, catching more attention than she realized. "Did you know Legolas was going to be here?" she asked loudly.

"Aeila." Valion discreetly moved her wineglass back a few inches from the edge of the table. "Not so loud, sister."

In the end, it was a very pleasant dinner. Aeila was surprised. She had expected everything to be very stiff and formal and quiet, all of them listening while the fancy King spoke. By some lucky chance, the fancy King never showed up, the crowd was pleasant, Aeila even made friends with the maiden sitting next to her.

"I am Dala," said the elleth, whose copper-toned hair glinted in the lamplight like sunshine on the valley. She was beautiful, with pale blue eyes and a sweet, pleasant smile. Aeila who was feeling very emboldened by her second glass of dorwinion placed her hand on Dala's arm.

"My name is Aeila," she said. "I just arrived a few days ago with my brother."

"I know," Dala smiled. When she smiled her eyes sparkled like gemstones. She really was beautiful, especially her lovely hair which Aeila noticed had been braided and styled back to hang in waves over her shoulders. Aeila suddenly remembered that her own hair was an absolute mess though she couldn't quite bring herself to care at the moment.

"How do you like our city?" asked the beautiful elleth.

"I like it very much," Aeila nodded. "Though I have not had the chance to make many new friends yet. We do not know our way around the city very well, you see."

"I would be happy to show you around," Dala offered.

Aeila felt her head spinning a bit and realized her wineglass was empty. She felt Valion's hand on her shoulder and realized he was talking. "I told you to be wise," he said. "You'd better stop for now, yes?"

"Yes," she agreed obediently. She resisted the urge to loudly assure him she was not drunk, only a little tipsy. Saying something like that to Valion would only make things worse, he always claimed that denial was the first sign of proof.

"Maybe you should get some air," Dala suggested, patting her hand. "It is a little stuffy in here. There are a few doors leading out to the hall, the air is more clear there."

"I'm fine," Aeila insisted.

"Aeila," Valion said, gently pulling her chair back from the table. "It might be wise."

He apparently wasn't giving her an option so Aeila stood up, feeling a little annoyed. "Alright," she said. "Although I feel perfectly fine."

"I'll walk you there," her brother offered stoically.

"Nonsense," Aeila pulled her hand away from him. "You stay here and finish your dinner. I'll be back in a minute." She turned and steadily walked towards the back of the hall. It was dimmer there, not so crowded and and definitely cooler. The great south doors were open and waves of fresh air were coming in. Aeila spotted a few chaise lounges and sank onto one. She was far enough from the tables that Valion hopefully could not see her, or might have laughed.

The second glass hadn't been a good idea. She knew it, but she wasn't regretting it. Her blood felt warm and fuzzy and pleasant. One could easily get addicted to such a feeling. Aeila smoothed a hand down the front of her dress, thinking how silly she'd been to worry about the dinner at all. It was a very nice dinner, and she'd even made a new friend.

Someone walked around the side of the chaise and sat down on the plush sofa directly across from her. Aeila sat up so quickly she saw a few stars and had to grasp the edge of the cushion for support.

"Please don't sit up on my account," said a smooth voice. But no, smooth wasn't _enough_ to describe that soft, deep, _silken _voice. Aeila had to turn and see what kind of owner possessed such a voice. She turned, and her eyes widened.

The first thing that caught her attention was his hair, because it fell in perfect, shining, sleek white-blonde waves, paler than Legolas' and longer, thicker, so glossy it was _glowing_, like the silver leaves on the trees. It was beautiful. Someone could have written a book about it. And then she noticed the dark pair of eyebrows, they were very dark compared to his incredible hair, dark and thick and winged just so. They were absolutely flawless. Aeila took a deep breath as she then noticed the black eyelashes that framed icy blue eyes, the straight, handsome nose and then...

As if her eyes were moving in slow motion, she finally settled her gaze on a mouth that consisted of a smooth, pink upper lip and an absolutely perfectly-shaped gorgeous bottom lip that made Aeila's own lips open so that she could take in a shaky breath.

That, now _that_, was a mouth worth kissing.

The mouth moved. The owner was speaking.

"You are Valion's sister, are you not?" asked the smooth voice.

"Yes." Aeila was trying to take in his whole, handsome face at once. It was overwhelming. She blinked a few times and realized she was still clutching the edge of the chaise. Slowly she breathed out and tried to focus. The cool air was helping with the effects of the wine but this smooth-voiced stranger was every bit as intoxicating. He would have been almost frightening if he wasn't so...

Maybe it was the alcohol lingering in her veins and maybe it was some other spell this stranger had cast, but Aeila suddenly found herself imagining in great detail what it might feel like to kiss that mouth. She felt a tingle go up her spine.

He was speaking again but Aeila wasn't listening, she was staring at his fine, lean figure, his leather-clad thighs which were lazily crossed and the intricate, knee-high boots he was wearing. He really was a pleasure to look at, even more pleasurable than the dessert she'd just finished eating. He was dressed in a long, form-fitting tunic that split at the waist and draped apart to fall in rivers of silver about his knees. Everything about him was elegant, from his long, smooth fingers and perfect fingernails to the strange, branched crown on his...

Aeila felt her breath catch in her throat. She felt a hot, nasty sensation rising in her chest.

Crown. He was wearing a crown. He was wearing... a sparkling silver tunic and a silver broach at his neck and four or five rings on his beautiful hands, including one enormous over-sized white piece of ridiculous bling on his middle finger.

_This _was the snobby, self-centered King who went back on his word and didn't care for her brother and most DEFINITELY did NOT have beautiful lips and would NOT be worth kissing and his black leather leggings could rot for all Aeila cared. With her heart racing Aeila rose from her seat and in the most dignified voice she could muster in that moment, she spat, "_Excuse_ me."

She whirled around to leave, and then decided excuse me was not nearly enough, and she might not ever get another chance and so she turned back and over her shoulder said, "You ought to be ashamed, you know. A King that doesn't keep his word is no King at all."

The King stared, emotionless, as the insane, inebriated elleth stormed away, dark hair whirling behind her.


End file.
